This whole interview was crap. I can’t believe i was able to last until the final five minutes. RT has no class employing a bimbo with tattoos, hair cut that looked like it was salvaged from a freebase session gone bad (Richard Pyror), wearing a gym suit workout dress. Interviewer made Zakharova repeat after every simple propaganda question, the same answer that is quite obvious; that the accusations were all false, no evidence so how could it possibly be reality.
This attack on Maria is wrong. What matters is what she says. I think she looks nice, but it does not matter what she looks like. She is a new voice at the foreign ministry. She speaks for the country, as she should. I do not care what Lavrov looks like either, but I always listen to him. Then I make up my own mind. He is usually right, by the way, and so is Maria.
I didn’t notice any tattoo.
Must have been looking in the wrong place. Like, at her face. Or, is the tattoo on her face?
I didn’t think this interview was so bad.
I like Maria. I though the interviewer asked pretyt good questoins and Maria did a pretty good job of fielding them.
Sorry, Anon “I didn’t notice any tattoo” was me.
I am confused as to the comment “This attack on Maria is wrong..
Rabel’s attack seemed to be directed toward the interviewer.
But I don’t see anything wrong with either one of them!
I like the woman-to-woman format.
1. They make more sense than most male interviewers. Not so much ego getting in the way.
2. they complement each other — Anissa challenged Maria, but gave her plenty of space to form her answers, also when the latter had to revisit her answer and refine it or add to it. Anissa did not cut her off, as most male interviewers seem to think they have the right to do (although Maria could probably handle this kind of impertinence).
3. They are both attractive and intelligent and Maria is super-articulate and confident.
I recall seeing Anissa recently doing another interview. I think it was the first time I had seen her. Yeah, I was surprised to see this cute “girl” with it looked like her own show. And she did a good job with the interview. I think she is a serious journalist and she has a great future in journalism ahead of her.
Guys! Enuff with the carping and bitchy comments!
Katherine
But what are you saying? After searching for the meaning of the street slang used byn you to refer to Anissa Naouai, which I did not know, I wonder, what do you find wrong with this really professional journalist to refer to her in such derogatory terms and away of reality from her look and act.
What’s wrong with her discreet tattoo? Or with her dress? And even with her haircut, a style very normal? Another thing is how they both were combed at RT studies, perfectly debatable, but, in any case, that would be better in a gossip program of TV rubish, here I guess this is not what matters but what they are saying.
I do not remember seeing you criticizing the clothing or hairstyle of Peter Lavelle or any of his guests, so I gather you are a misogynist “de tomo y lomo” who find it difficult to accept that a woman can be beautiful, sexy and smart at the same time and so, being sure of herself and her professionalism could have the bravery to appear before the audience with a tight but respectable dress.
OMIGOD! Tattos? (Nowhere in evidence).. Haircut? (Seen Wasserman-Shultz lately?).
Not a word about the content of the interview.
Anissa Naouai conducted a splendid interview, allowing Zakharova to answer at length, without interruption. Rare in US TV.
Zakharova’s final commentary on the horror of war was eloquent and memorable. So much so that I transcribed it for quotation in an essay in progress. It should be read to every member of Congress (not that it would make much difference).
How many Americans are aware: US killed in action: 250,000. Soviets KIA 25,000,000 (mostly civilians). 100 Soviets for every American. Western Soviet Union devastated. Not a single Nazi bomb or artillery shell fell on US soil.
And we are led to believe that the Russians are eager for war?
William Engdahl, citing Sun Tsu, gets very pessimistic about the Russian campaign in Syria and foresees Armageddon by March or April.
Uber-clever, devilish machinations by the US machiavellians, Engdahl fears, might catch the Russians on the wrong foot, resulting in what every ‘consious’ bloggers has been raving about since years: The whole Middle East burning! WW3! – and sadly, yes – The end of the world!
Just having glossed over the article, I can’t say much about it, but it occurs to me that the catastrophic results of misjudging the true nature of your opponent as well as of yourself, that Sun Tsu so eloquently warns about in the passage Engdahl quotes, might apply more to the auther himself, than to the Russians.
On Feb.17, at least 500 Turkish-backed militants crossed the Turkish border heading for town of Azaz in the province of Aleppo, Syria.
The militants crossed the Syrian-Turkey border at the Bab al-Salam border crossing. This group is reinforcements for militant groups have suffered setbacks at the hands of Kurdish YPG militia.
This is the second time in the recent days a large group of militants has crossed the border. On Feb.14, some 350 passed through the Atme border crossing armed with heavy and light weapons.
Meanwhile, Turkey continued shelling the positions of the Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in Northern Syria providing artillery support to militant groups for a fifth day in a row.
There are few pictures of Turkey-backed militants in Latakia. Any western media could be sure that they are “moderate opposition”:
Engdahl does not foresee Armageddon. (It is impossible anyway.) Only a greater regional war. Which Uncle Sam tries to ignite. Syria, Russia, Iran – caught in a war with his pawns Turkey and Saudi Arabia. What’s not to like? Do you think Uncle Sam has come over to us and is now one of the good guys?
What if there’s more undeclared terror attacks coming Turkey’s way? The stakes are high for Turkey, either way. Kurdistan is in the air, there can be no doubt. Where will it be created? Turkey wanted to create it in Syria.
In 2011, Alain Juppé, then French Minister for Foreign Affairs, and his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoğlu, signed a secret treaty. We know that it included several reciprocal engagements, including that of « resolving the Kurdish question » without « damaging the integrity of Turkish territory », in other words, the creation of a pseudo-Kurdistan in Syria.
Now it looks like the SAA and its allies are vetoing that project. Does that look like a boomerang now that is flying back into Turkey? Will Erdogan wait and see how it unfolds? Or try and retake the initiative? Everything looks bad for Turkey now … so is Uncle Sam trying to push Turkey into war?
George Soros is still on the loose. Thanks to his tight network of goons and loons, he thus far avoided not only arrest but also urgent brain surgery. To add injury to insult, one of his own internet desinformation portals, invited him ro write an ‘opinion piece’.
Invigorated by the NATO love-fest at the Munich Security Conference, Sorosssh doesn’t mince words and slams the hammer right down. Fasten your belts, friends, I quote:
” The leaders of the United States and the European Union are making a grievous error in thinking that President Vladimir Putin’s Russia is a potential ally in the fight against the Islamic State. The evidence contradicts them. Putin’s current aim is to foster the EU’s disintegration, and the best way to do so is to flood the EU with Syrian refugees. ”
Honestly, guys, so much poison in so few words makes look cyancali in comparison like Prosecco.
But let’s stop right here. Sorry, to have wasted your precious time.
got another missive from him today too.
he wants europe to spend 40 billion a year to foster
homes, jobs and health care for refugees and economic
migrants.
germany has 6 billion in reserves, he says, but everyone
else has nothing…
no mention of the substantial unemployment rates of
the natives.
it struck me, as he is some kind of finance wizard,
that this is meant to bankrupt europe even more
than it already is. devious.
bet they wont go for it, that would be insane
anybody with brains can not only see ( from her eyes and personalty) but hear the clear precise straightforward quality answer of Maria. She is brilliant and very strong..good contrast with Anissa (Gandharva versus apsara) That is such an asset for Russia, and that’s what counts. Look at the faces of all that soulless crap on the other side repeating the same lies. They even lack any bit of creativity in the dirty stories.
Gandharva in Vedic terms .is the Lord of the Host of delight, later on it came to mean a celestial musician, male or female. the Host of delight includes female entities also, They incarnate to do a specific job. The connotation is a positive one while apsara are celestial damsel, nymphs, snares with a negative connotation as some of their business is to lure the spiritual aspirant from his chosen path. Devas are of course the gods while asuras, rakshasas and pishachas are hostile beings, deamons
“The official representative the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, invited the BBC to make a new film about how Britain is harbouring fugitives in their country. Zakharova stated this during a briefing on Thursday afternoon. According to the representative of the Foreign Ministry, the refusal of the British authorities to extradite perpetrators of crimes in Russia does not look favourable on London.”
extract
——————————————-
“In the wake of yet another possible military intervention in Libya, this time with the invitation of Russia, Russian political analysts suggest that if it was the West who orchestrated this chaos, then it should be the West who settles it.
There have been reports that the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, had talks with his French counterpart with an eye toward taking “decisive military action” against Daesh, this time in Libya.
The jihadist group has reportedly established as large a presence in Libya, as it has in Iraq and Syria.
However, this time, reports suggest, the Western countries are considering inviting Russia into the planned campaign.
“Reports say that these countries have nearly invited Russia to join in, as Russia is fighting against the group in Syria, Oleg Peresypkin, Head of the Center for Eastern Research at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy said at the round table discussion at the “Rossiya Segodnya” International Information Center.”
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/africa/20160218/1034980410/libya-chaos-intervention.html#ixzz40X7DaxgI
———————————————-
MOSCOW, February 18. /TASS/. The introduction of the no-fly zone in Syria will only result in the “Libyan scenario”, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
READ ALSO
Damaged building in Aleppo, Syria
Kremlin against Merkel’s proposal to create no-fly zone over Syria’s Aleppo
“The statements on a no-fly zone were made by the German chancellor, but this is not her idea, the idea is not new, it was promoted by Turkey,” the diplomat said. “Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov has pointed out that this proposal should be coordinated with the official Damascus. No one cancelled the country’s sovereignty.”
“No one wants the ‘Libyan scenario’. The international community has already experienced this concept,” she said. “The result is visible not only in Libya, rather, it is not seen in Libya at all. However, it is seen far beyond Libya’s borders – in Europe.”
According to Zakharova, the proposal for a no-fly zone over Syria should be coordinated with Damascus.”
Just seen an interview on rt with Oksano Boyko and the Director of the S yrian Reform Initiative…..hmmm…..references to what the opposition were trying to achieve before 2011 that Assad ignored…..the turn to rebellion….what the difficulties will be or could be after? Peaceceasefire…….justice? for warcrimes?…their democracy….or if the voters still want Asad will that be permitted or allowed by them or the outside players…..truth and reconcviliation…..uncertainties re equal treatment war crimes of the opposition armed militants……very determine Directoe…..but after? the ceasefire it ain’ t going to be easy at all despite best efforts from Lavrov and others etc………
“ANKARA, February 18. /TASS/. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has invited ambassadors from P5+1 group (five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) following Wednesday’s deadly terrorist attack in Ankara, diplomatic sources at the ministry told TASS.
“Ambassadors in Ankara from five permanent UN members (Russia, China, the UK, the US and France) and Germany were invited today for a meeting in our ministry,” the sources said.
Turkey’s deputy foreign minister will inform them about the terrorist attack. “The meetings are already underway.”
READ ALSO
Russian lawmaker: Extremists cannot be tamed to serve one’s interests
Kremlin condemns terrorist attack in Ankara, conveys condolences to families of victims
Russian Foreign Ministry: Terrorist attacks in Ankara cannot be justified
Explosion hiits Turkey’s Ankara — authorities
There is no information if Russia’s Ambassador Andrey Karlov has arrived in the ministry. Russia’s embassy in Ankara has yet to comment on the report.”
and wonder if it was a Turkish criminal gang
‘Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported today that it has arrested 14 suspects from an international criminal group involved in forging passports and other documents to send Islamists in Syria, and those coming to Russia for terror missions.
The FSB reported that a joint special FSB and Interior Ministry operation in the Moscow region has exposed an international organized crime network, which was providing forged papers for extremists from Russia and CIS countries.
The report also added that the members of the group were arrested after sufficient evidence had been gathered including a vast stockpile of forged documents, forms, stamps, special equipment for fake papers’ production and extremist literature.
According to the FSB reports, the gang was busy forging documents for those “illegally heading to Syria to take part in military actions on the side of Islamic State, and also for the militants sent on a mission to Russia by ISIS leaders to conduct terrorist and extremist activities, as well as illegal migrants.”
The FSB report said that the members of the criminal group have been taking extreme precautionary measures by constantly changing their place of residence and using undercover communications’ tools, including software which enable them to hide personal data while surfing the web.” http://southfront.org/14-detained-for-printing-fake-passports-for-terrorists-in-moscow/
I think there have been previous references to high quality fake Syrian passports made in Turkey to assist ISIs, or refugees, or someone……….any connection would be very interesting………….
Thanks for this wonderful interview. These two women not only are beautiful but they are highly intelligent. Anissa plays the role of devil’s advocate and she plays it well.
Maria is stunning for beauty and brains. And she has an emotional intelligence lacking in most men, as evidenced by her tears at the end when talking about nothing being worse than war. Men like Putin and Lavrov probably shed tears too but not in public since it would be interpreted as weakness by you know who.
I agree that war is the very worst. It started with patriarchal men’s war against animals, killing, eating and domesticating them as pets and beasts of burden and experimentation. It’s still going on bigger than ever.
As an overall concept, patriarchy explains the origin and continuation of war. The fact that we are in massive denial about the concept of patriarchy speaks volumes.
At our origin we were a love culture but through various types of war we have devolved into an anti-love culture; and therefore live with a constant unexplained underground pain.
Russia understand that pain of war as Maria described so well. The West uses this Russian virtue to the West’s advantage. However, the West does not realize an associated fact: when a mother bear’s children are attacked she becomes ferocious.
Maria’s tears are one side of the coin; her rage is the other. The cowardly West had best keep that in mind when Russian men fully realize what’s up as they are now doing by putting their lives on the line. It may take them awhile since their brains are more unipolar than women’s natural multipolar ones. But when men do wake up to the facts of patriarchy, watch out because it won’t be quiet on the Patrix Western Front.
I was impressed with the presentation, and in particular with a point made at the outset of the interview, that took me back to GWBush’s first declaration of the ‘doctrine of pre-emptive strike’ which made a huge impression on me at the time of his announcing it. It was after that issue was raised as government policy that Al Gore made several important speeches in San Francisco spelling out what a radical departure from standard international law this policy had become. And so it must have seemed at the time to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
It is on this basis that Russia has made all of its policies since then, the standard of international law. And so it was a travesty that upon finally obtaining the White House, the Democratic president did not go right back to Al Gore’s defense of international law, as many of us expected he would do.
Thanks so much for sharing this important perspective.
The Soviet song she so eloquently makes a reference to, is already subbed and I really hope everyone takes the time to listen in.
(Les Russes veulent-ils la guerre ? The Russians want war ? Red army choir (ENG subtitle) ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8AfRpO8GXY
After listening to it, I really get the feeling that it is not Russian burocrats that dont want war, but the mass of the Russians.
Dozens of Turkish military vehicles cross Syria border, dig trenches – report
Turkish military vehicles have crossed into a Kurdistani area in Syria, Afrin, just over the border, a Kurdish news agency reported adding that the troops started to dig a trench near Meidan Ekbis, a town in Aleppo province.
Dozens of Turkish military vehicles advanced 200 meters into the Syrian Kurdish region in Aleppo province on Thursday, ANHA news agency reported.
It added that the troops started digging a trench between the towns of Sorka and Meydan Ekbis. According to the agency the construction of a concrete wall on the Syrian border in the area is ongoing as well.
The agency posted photos of ongoing operations on its website.
Two countries militarily invaded in the space of ten weeks.
Now, YPG will grave the turkish tanks with cement, while SAA uses the excess to round up the remains of Daesh. RAF may or may not volunteer some engineering advice depending on the terrain topography.
A kurdish city? I was of the impression that Afrin was in Syria. Trenches and positions? Where is the photographic evidence or satellite imagery? More obfuscation? Of course.
I would love to know who is the Russian source who told him the Russians have warned Erdogan they would use tactical nuclear weapons to protect their strike force in Syria. Would the Russians really disclose that to a US journalist? I have no doubt the source exists but I wonder whether he is as well connected as Robert Parry supposes?
The rest of the article makes fascinating reading too.
Risking Nuclear War for Al Qaeda?
Exclusive: The risk that the multi-sided Syrian war could spark World War III continues as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and U.S. neocons seek an invasion that could kill Russian troops — and possibly escalate the Syrian crisis into a nuclear showdown, amazingly to protect Al Qaeda terrorists, reports Robert Parry.
There is another possibility worth eliminating and that is that the military convoy bombing was planned by the Sultan himself.
What better false flag way to attack Syria by ‘defending’ against Kurdish militants and simultaneously getting the Turkish military, who generally hate Erdogan, on side?
There’s been a few lately of this genre plus some more along the lines of bizarre distraction. I wonder if they really are just random empty insults from naturally boorish individuals/misogynists/ those lashing out from a lack of self-esteem. Might there be more to it? Cause anger and confusion and turn people away? Pixel persona software at work?
It would be interesting to know the quantity, slant and quality of what the moderators delete.
As with discerning truth from shaped propaganda, it may be difficult, at least initially, to divine where the truth starts with any individual news article but it is very easy to see an uptick in the quantity and trend of smear over a larger number of articles.
We try to filter out ‘comments’ that obviously are hostile, boorish, completely off topic, and combative. We strive to have a discussion of ideas and views and to avoid ‘trash talk’ of either the author or another commenter. Its difficult but we send only 1-2% of the comments to Saker for his review, eg ‘not posted’. Sometimes we edit out ‘personal attacks’ in an otherwise fine comment and then approve it. The same with obscenities. Each moderator brings their own views and predjudices as to what is acceptable. This was a very insightful question and its difficult to know what is ‘true’. many shades. … Mod-hs
I was just thinking out loud -and actually hoping that the ‘objectionable’ postings (and I realise that is subjective) were a consequence of ‘institutional’ attention in some way because it would mean that the Saker’s website is considered a danger -as with all truth. Given the tiny readership here compared to the MSM, plus sites like RT, Russia Insider etc.you’d think though that would be an over-reaction and unlikely.
Moderation is a difficult, thankless, under-appreciated task and Vineyard moderators do an amazing job.
To understand Mr. Putin-
We are now coming to a showdown between the trans-Atlantic region and the Russia-China-India leadership of the new economic system of development. The leading aspect of this is Vladimir Putin. His actions backed up by China and India are determining the global process. The consolidation of an integrated military capacity in Syria, which cannot now be dislodged, not by Turkey and/or Saudi Arabia, has tremendously weakened Obama and his use of international terror as the leading aspect of the imperial control over world affairs. What rage must the British and Obama be experiencing now as their supported, and expected, fall of Damascus to the Islamic State in October ended up becoming the opposite with Russia’s intervention? In all of this, Putin is negotiating with everyone for a viable world system of sovereign nations. Putin was even able to force the U.N. Security Council to demand that Turkey stop shelling Northern Syria. Putin and his actions are the leading aspect of what is shaping the possibility of turning the course of history, in a functionally positive way, in finally defeating this Brutish and degenerate anti-human empire.
We have now come to the specter of how we are actually going to deal with the disintegrating financial system. We can no longer be meek about the situation. We must assert what we know; Glass-Steagall, a credit system, and the revival of the space program. A better vision needs to be initiated now with the North American population. The empire is being caught in all its contradictions, lies, and lack of ability to know what Putin is going to do next. It is also caught in the throes of the its systemic financial crisis. There is a way out for the people, but not for the empire.
Unfortunately, the video is almost unwatchable due to it the incessant stopping and starting as it loads small sements at intervals. Had to watch it on RT.
The effects of the economic crisis in the Baltic country were much more dramatic than in southern Europe. After ransom 7,500 million and join the Eurozone, the internal devaluation triggered the sale of organs of young people
ANGEL FERRERO
MOSCOW. Two reasons make Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania again in the news: first, the presence of NATO troops in the Baltic against an alleged threat of destabilization or even military invasion from Russia; the second, his refusal, along with that of the Visegrad Group (composed by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), to accept the European Union plan for resettlement of refugees. In short, from the three Baltic republics, whose independence from the Soviet Union will celebrate soon the 25th anniversary, we only know for its instrumental role in issues affecting the large states of the European Union.
“20 years, healthy, athlete, I do not drink alcohol. I sell my kidney”. This is the text of one of the online ads viewed by journalists from the Latvian daily Diena to a report published on 17 February. It is not the only of its kind. The ads are accompanied by an e-mail address or phone number. Diena journalists decided to answer some of these ads posing as a potential buyer, a 25 year-old named Sarah, whose mother hospitalized urgently needed a kidney transplant.
According to the newspaper account in less than a day they received the first answer: an adolescent of 19 years willing to donate her organ in exchange for a sum of between 15,000 and 20,000 euros. Journalists, posing as Sarah, replied that, after working several years in Norway, she had the amount available and was willing to pay. In the exchange of email the young offers more on her private life: she is married and lives in the outskirts of Riga, is concerned about the procedure and whether the operation will be carried out in Latvia. Journalists, posing as Sarah, reassuring her: the transplant was performed by medical professionals in the Pauls Stradiņš (PSCUH) University Hospital. She is committed to a personal meeting to go together to analyzes previous to the operation.
“20 years, healthy, athlete, do not drink. I sell my kidney. ”
Another potential seller, a 20 year old who also lives on the outskirts of the capital, is the following answer. After a quick exchange of emails, he accepts the same price and send his phone number to make an appointment. The third answer is an adult who currently lives abroad and is satisfied with a lower amount of money: 6,000 euros.(….)
Internal devaluation in Latvia, an example?
The report of Diena presents a portrait far less bright in this Baltic republic of those who can usually read in the Western media. Latvia was one of the first European countries being swept away by the financial crisis in 2008. The neoliberal government policy caused the housing bubble reached more than other countries size and burst was therefore even more damaging to the economy: the government had to nationalize the country’s second largest bank, Parex, Latvia’s GDP contracted by 10.5% in 2008 and just in one year -from December 2008 to December 2009, unemployment rose from 7% to 22.5%. The executive, which lacked sufficient reserves to rescue Parex and kept the change of the lat, the national currency, fixed to the euro with a view to joining the eurozone, requested assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union, which approved an emergency rescue of 7,500 million euros conditioned on the implementation of a structural adjustment program.
In 2011, Latvia again recorded growth, up 5.4%. The following year also, though less: 4.4%. Unemployment fell. Economic journalists lauded the the Latvian Lutheran moral when to buckle against the reluctance of the Mediterranean to accept austerity measures. The country, they said, finally out of the doldrums thanks to the efforts of the population. “As a result of hard work, Latvia has put its budget deficit under control and the economy has returned to the path of growth, which has been rewarded with his return successfully to the financial markets. further reforms to ensure progress and deal with the challenges that remain are needed, but what we have seen to date is certainly a very good start, “stated the CEO of Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission, Marco Buti, the March 1, 2012. in June of that same year, Christine Lagarde was pleased at the results achieved in Riga. Latvia, according to the managing director of the IMF, had shown strength and discipline, and she was personally proud that the IMF was part of that success story.
But this success story casts a long shadow. American economists Michael Hudson and Jeffrey Sommers collected in an article significantly entitled “The economic disaster of Latvia neoliberal success story” everything that was lost between the lines of speeches from the European Commission and the IMF. Latvia, wrote, “is presented as the country where the labor movement did not fight, but simply emigrated, quietly and politely.” “The Latvian -continuaban- left the protest and began to vote with their feet, migrating, when the economy shrank, wages fell and the tax burden remained on the backs of workers (…) while capital gains are barely taxed,
turning the country into a destination for capital and tax flight for kleptocrats from Russia and other post-Soviet states. ”
Behind the facade of this “Potemkin village” of supporters of austerity, as defined by Sommers and Hudson, therefore is hided a harsh reality. In an essay for the magazine Forbes, analyst Mark Adomanis recalled a few months ago that the Baltic republics have lost together 22% of its population since 1990. In the case of Latvia, the figure rises to 25.5%, mainly due to emigration and low birth rates, which in the future could shake up its pension system. The country’s entry into the European Union did not stop this demographic hemorrhage, of which there are roughly equivalent in the world: in 2013 up to 10% of the population had left the country since 2004, the year when Latvia joined the EU.
Hudson and Sommers graphically described this process as “euthanasia” and conclude that the Latvian model can only “work” if applicable “to a small country willing to carry it out and capable of allowing emigre at least 10% of its population starting with the graduates, the fittest and those with greater knowledge of languages.” The remaining three conditions are “safe demographics for the collapse of household formation rates, marriages and births,” “ethnically divided population that allows politicians to play the ethnic card to distract the population from economic problems” and “depoliticized population willing to give up the protest after a short period of time.”
In his speech in 2012, Lagarde said that growth recovered, the country should prepare for the next step: join the eurozone. One possibility that many Latvians fear rather seen as a new crisis would leave the country without its own currency to devalue and “internal devaluation” again as the only solution. Some members of the Saeima, the Latvian parliament, called for a referendum, but the Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis refused to summon him, saying the country had voted in favor of accession to the European Union in 2003 and signed the treaty which forces to adopt the euro as soon as the country fulfilled the convergence criteria. Opposition attempts to achieve the call for a consultation do not paid off and Latvia adopted the euro on 1 January 2014. Since then there not seem that for Latvia have fared much better things, but the kidneys already can be bought and sold in euros.”
From the comment section of this article, a comment worth read it:
IllyaK • 2 days ago
Soviet Union was the first – and in many cases ONLY – nation to:
free education right through post-grad
free pre-school
guaranteed work in the field of your studies
free apartment and land to build your dacha
free medical, dental, drugs, etc
one year paid maternity – three years unpaid and your job and seniority assured
one month paid vacation – at least
free transportation to and from work
invented the 8 hour work day
and
much else besides – and this was BEFORE WWII when westerners were had
ZERO rights and ZERO benefits and toiled 14 hours a day just to have
enough time to dig for bugs and cathcch rats for dinner before getting 4
hours sleep to start it all over again.
It’s MARIA, not Marina.
This whole interview was crap. I can’t believe i was able to last until the final five minutes. RT has no class employing a bimbo with tattoos, hair cut that looked like it was salvaged from a freebase session gone bad (Richard Pyror), wearing a gym suit workout dress. Interviewer made Zakharova repeat after every simple propaganda question, the same answer that is quite obvious; that the accusations were all false, no evidence so how could it possibly be reality.
This attack on Maria is wrong. What matters is what she says. I think she looks nice, but it does not matter what she looks like. She is a new voice at the foreign ministry. She speaks for the country, as she should. I do not care what Lavrov looks like either, but I always listen to him. Then I make up my own mind. He is usually right, by the way, and so is Maria.
I didn’t notice any tattoo.
Must have been looking in the wrong place. Like, at her face. Or, is the tattoo on her face?
I didn’t think this interview was so bad.
I like Maria. I though the interviewer asked pretyt good questoins and Maria did a pretty good job of fielding them.
Sorry, Anon “I didn’t notice any tattoo” was me.
I am confused as to the comment “This attack on Maria is wrong..
Rabel’s attack seemed to be directed toward the interviewer.
But I don’t see anything wrong with either one of them!
I like the woman-to-woman format.
1. They make more sense than most male interviewers. Not so much ego getting in the way.
2. they complement each other — Anissa challenged Maria, but gave her plenty of space to form her answers, also when the latter had to revisit her answer and refine it or add to it. Anissa did not cut her off, as most male interviewers seem to think they have the right to do (although Maria could probably handle this kind of impertinence).
3. They are both attractive and intelligent and Maria is super-articulate and confident.
I recall seeing Anissa recently doing another interview. I think it was the first time I had seen her. Yeah, I was surprised to see this cute “girl” with it looked like her own show. And she did a good job with the interview. I think she is a serious journalist and she has a great future in journalism ahead of her.
Guys! Enuff with the carping and bitchy comments!
Katherine
“… I like the woman-to-woman format … They are both attractive …”
For Lord’s sake, what kind of a site is this to allow such removed. Mod TRstuff? Shame.
But what are you saying? After searching for the meaning of the street slang used byn you to refer to Anissa Naouai, which I did not know, I wonder, what do you find wrong with this really professional journalist to refer to her in such derogatory terms and away of reality from her look and act.
What’s wrong with her discreet tattoo? Or with her dress? And even with her haircut, a style very normal? Another thing is how they both were combed at RT studies, perfectly debatable, but, in any case, that would be better in a gossip program of TV rubish, here I guess this is not what matters but what they are saying.
I do not remember seeing you criticizing the clothing or hairstyle of Peter Lavelle or any of his guests, so I gather you are a misogynist “de tomo y lomo” who find it difficult to accept that a woman can be beautiful, sexy and smart at the same time and so, being sure of herself and her professionalism could have the bravery to appear before the audience with a tight but respectable dress.
Go to walk a bit over there!
OMIGOD! Tattos? (Nowhere in evidence).. Haircut? (Seen Wasserman-Shultz lately?).
Not a word about the content of the interview.
Anissa Naouai conducted a splendid interview, allowing Zakharova to answer at length, without interruption. Rare in US TV.
Zakharova’s final commentary on the horror of war was eloquent and memorable. So much so that I transcribed it for quotation in an essay in progress. It should be read to every member of Congress (not that it would make much difference).
How many Americans are aware: US killed in action: 250,000. Soviets KIA 25,000,000 (mostly civilians). 100 Soviets for every American. Western Soviet Union devastated. Not a single Nazi bomb or artillery shell fell on US soil.
And we are led to believe that the Russians are eager for war?
Gimme a break!
OT
William Engdahl, citing Sun Tsu, gets very pessimistic about the Russian campaign in Syria and foresees Armageddon by March or April.
Uber-clever, devilish machinations by the US machiavellians, Engdahl fears, might catch the Russians on the wrong foot, resulting in what every ‘consious’ bloggers has been raving about since years: The whole Middle East burning! WW3! – and sadly, yes – The end of the world!
Just having glossed over the article, I can’t say much about it, but it occurs to me that the catastrophic results of misjudging the true nature of your opponent as well as of yourself, that Sun Tsu so eloquently warns about in the passage Engdahl quotes, might apply more to the auther himself, than to the Russians.
http://journal-neo.org/2016/02/17/washington-s-machiavellian-game-in-syria/
On Feb.17, at least 500 Turkish-backed militants crossed the Turkish border heading for town of Azaz in the province of Aleppo, Syria.
The militants crossed the Syrian-Turkey border at the Bab al-Salam border crossing. This group is reinforcements for militant groups have suffered setbacks at the hands of Kurdish YPG militia.
This is the second time in the recent days a large group of militants has crossed the border. On Feb.14, some 350 passed through the Atme border crossing armed with heavy and light weapons.
Meanwhile, Turkey continued shelling the positions of the Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in Northern Syria providing artillery support to militant groups for a fifth day in a row.
There are few pictures of Turkey-backed militants in Latakia. Any western media could be sure that they are “moderate opposition”:
http://southfront.org/500-militants-cross-turkish-border-towards-azaz-syria/
Uber-clever US machinations? Isn’t this an oxymoron?
I feel some of these articles are “planted”
Engdahl does not foresee Armageddon. (It is impossible anyway.) Only a greater regional war. Which Uncle Sam tries to ignite. Syria, Russia, Iran – caught in a war with his pawns Turkey and Saudi Arabia. What’s not to like? Do you think Uncle Sam has come over to us and is now one of the good guys?
What if there’s more undeclared terror attacks coming Turkey’s way? The stakes are high for Turkey, either way. Kurdistan is in the air, there can be no doubt. Where will it be created? Turkey wanted to create it in Syria.
The unavowable project for a pseudo-Kurdistan – by Thierry Meyssan
Now it looks like the SAA and its allies are vetoing that project. Does that look like a boomerang now that is flying back into Turkey? Will Erdogan wait and see how it unfolds? Or try and retake the initiative? Everything looks bad for Turkey now … so is Uncle Sam trying to push Turkey into war?
OT
George Soros is still on the loose. Thanks to his tight network of goons and loons, he thus far avoided not only arrest but also urgent brain surgery. To add injury to insult, one of his own internet desinformation portals, invited him ro write an ‘opinion piece’.
Invigorated by the NATO love-fest at the Munich Security Conference, Sorosssh doesn’t mince words and slams the hammer right down. Fasten your belts, friends, I quote:
” The leaders of the United States and the European Union are making a grievous error in thinking that President Vladimir Putin’s Russia is a potential ally in the fight against the Islamic State. The evidence contradicts them. Putin’s current aim is to foster the EU’s disintegration, and the best way to do so is to flood the EU with Syrian refugees. ”
Honestly, guys, so much poison in so few words makes look cyancali in comparison like Prosecco.
But let’s stop right here. Sorry, to have wasted your precious time.
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/putin-no-ally-against-isis-by-george-soros-2016-02
Hi is nothing just a paranoid evil man who’s dream is to enslave the world after the prescription of the Protocols of Zion
got another missive from him today too.
he wants europe to spend 40 billion a year to foster
homes, jobs and health care for refugees and economic
migrants.
germany has 6 billion in reserves, he says, but everyone
else has nothing…
no mention of the substantial unemployment rates of
the natives.
it struck me, as he is some kind of finance wizard,
that this is meant to bankrupt europe even more
than it already is. devious.
bet they wont go for it, that would be insane
Excellent foil for Maria to speak clearly and openly the truth in a way western ears could hear
This is what I thought. When I realised that, I thought that it was very cleverly done.
anybody with brains can not only see ( from her eyes and personalty) but hear the clear precise straightforward quality answer of Maria. She is brilliant and very strong..good contrast with Anissa (Gandharva versus apsara) That is such an asset for Russia, and that’s what counts. Look at the faces of all that soulless crap on the other side repeating the same lies. They even lack any bit of creativity in the dirty stories.
I think you mean devas vs. asuras. Apsaras are female heavenly creatures as are the male gandharvas.
Gandharva in Vedic terms .is the Lord of the Host of delight, later on it came to mean a celestial musician, male or female. the Host of delight includes female entities also, They incarnate to do a specific job. The connotation is a positive one while apsara are celestial damsel, nymphs, snares with a negative connotation as some of their business is to lure the spiritual aspirant from his chosen path. Devas are of course the gods while asuras, rakshasas and pishachas are hostile beings, deamons
http://tass.ru/en/politics/857637
a summary? of her presentation at MFA today……….
no evidence, wha is Merkel up to sort of thing, re no fly zone etc
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/02/russian-foreign-ministry-suggests-plot.html
for a new beeb documentary
“The official representative the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, invited the BBC to make a new film about how Britain is harbouring fugitives in their country. Zakharova stated this during a briefing on Thursday afternoon. According to the representative of the Foreign Ministry, the refusal of the British authorities to extradite perpetrators of crimes in Russia does not look favourable on London.”
extract
——————————————-
“In the wake of yet another possible military intervention in Libya, this time with the invitation of Russia, Russian political analysts suggest that if it was the West who orchestrated this chaos, then it should be the West who settles it.
There have been reports that the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, had talks with his French counterpart with an eye toward taking “decisive military action” against Daesh, this time in Libya.
The jihadist group has reportedly established as large a presence in Libya, as it has in Iraq and Syria.
However, this time, reports suggest, the Western countries are considering inviting Russia into the planned campaign.
“Reports say that these countries have nearly invited Russia to join in, as Russia is fighting against the group in Syria, Oleg Peresypkin, Head of the Center for Eastern Research at the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy said at the round table discussion at the “Rossiya Segodnya” International Information Center.”
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/africa/20160218/1034980410/libya-chaos-intervention.html#ixzz40X7DaxgI
———————————————-
MOSCOW, February 18. /TASS/. The introduction of the no-fly zone in Syria will only result in the “Libyan scenario”, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
READ ALSO
Damaged building in Aleppo, Syria
Kremlin against Merkel’s proposal to create no-fly zone over Syria’s Aleppo
“The statements on a no-fly zone were made by the German chancellor, but this is not her idea, the idea is not new, it was promoted by Turkey,” the diplomat said. “Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov has pointed out that this proposal should be coordinated with the official Damascus. No one cancelled the country’s sovereignty.”
“No one wants the ‘Libyan scenario’. The international community has already experienced this concept,” she said. “The result is visible not only in Libya, rather, it is not seen in Libya at all. However, it is seen far beyond Libya’s borders – in Europe.”
According to Zakharova, the proposal for a no-fly zone over Syria should be coordinated with Damascus.”
More:
http://tass.ru/en/politics/857637
————————————-
Just seen an interview on rt with Oksano Boyko and the Director of the S yrian Reform Initiative…..hmmm…..references to what the opposition were trying to achieve before 2011 that Assad ignored…..the turn to rebellion….what the difficulties will be or could be after? Peaceceasefire…….justice? for warcrimes?…their democracy….or if the voters still want Asad will that be permitted or allowed by them or the outside players…..truth and reconcviliation…..uncertainties re equal treatment war crimes of the opposition armed militants……very determine Directoe…..but after? the ceasefire it ain’ t going to be easy at all despite best efforts from Lavrov and others etc………
smell a rat?
“ANKARA, February 18. /TASS/. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has invited ambassadors from P5+1 group (five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) following Wednesday’s deadly terrorist attack in Ankara, diplomatic sources at the ministry told TASS.
“Ambassadors in Ankara from five permanent UN members (Russia, China, the UK, the US and France) and Germany were invited today for a meeting in our ministry,” the sources said.
Turkey’s deputy foreign minister will inform them about the terrorist attack. “The meetings are already underway.”
READ ALSO
Russian lawmaker: Extremists cannot be tamed to serve one’s interests
Kremlin condemns terrorist attack in Ankara, conveys condolences to families of victims
Russian Foreign Ministry: Terrorist attacks in Ankara cannot be justified
Explosion hiits Turkey’s Ankara — authorities
There is no information if Russia’s Ambassador Andrey Karlov has arrived in the ministry. Russia’s embassy in Ankara has yet to comment on the report.”
More:
http://tass.ru/en/world/857630
and wonder if it was a Turkish criminal gang
‘Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported today that it has arrested 14 suspects from an international criminal group involved in forging passports and other documents to send Islamists in Syria, and those coming to Russia for terror missions.
The FSB reported that a joint special FSB and Interior Ministry operation in the Moscow region has exposed an international organized crime network, which was providing forged papers for extremists from Russia and CIS countries.
The report also added that the members of the group were arrested after sufficient evidence had been gathered including a vast stockpile of forged documents, forms, stamps, special equipment for fake papers’ production and extremist literature.
According to the FSB reports, the gang was busy forging documents for those “illegally heading to Syria to take part in military actions on the side of Islamic State, and also for the militants sent on a mission to Russia by ISIS leaders to conduct terrorist and extremist activities, as well as illegal migrants.”
The FSB report said that the members of the criminal group have been taking extreme precautionary measures by constantly changing their place of residence and using undercover communications’ tools, including software which enable them to hide personal data while surfing the web.”
http://southfront.org/14-detained-for-printing-fake-passports-for-terrorists-in-moscow/
I think there have been previous references to high quality fake Syrian passports made in Turkey to assist ISIs, or refugees, or someone……….any connection would be very interesting………….
———————————–
“This video describes the Russian military efforts in Syria in period between September 30, 2015 and February 17, 2016. The video is made by request of our friend, TheSaker.”
http://southfront.org/results-of-russian-air-campaign-in-syria-sep-30-2015-feb-17-2016/
———————————————————————
various other reports dated 18 Feb too
Totally sad but true but funny from RI
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/putin-obama-phone-call/ri12901
The endlessly-discussed S-300s finally arrive in Iran on Thurday. Why has this taken so long?
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/02/first-batch-of-long-awaited-s-300-sent.html
Thanks for this wonderful interview. These two women not only are beautiful but they are highly intelligent. Anissa plays the role of devil’s advocate and she plays it well.
Maria is stunning for beauty and brains. And she has an emotional intelligence lacking in most men, as evidenced by her tears at the end when talking about nothing being worse than war. Men like Putin and Lavrov probably shed tears too but not in public since it would be interpreted as weakness by you know who.
I agree that war is the very worst. It started with patriarchal men’s war against animals, killing, eating and domesticating them as pets and beasts of burden and experimentation. It’s still going on bigger than ever.
As an overall concept, patriarchy explains the origin and continuation of war. The fact that we are in massive denial about the concept of patriarchy speaks volumes.
At our origin we were a love culture but through various types of war we have devolved into an anti-love culture; and therefore live with a constant unexplained underground pain.
Russia understand that pain of war as Maria described so well. The West uses this Russian virtue to the West’s advantage. However, the West does not realize an associated fact: when a mother bear’s children are attacked she becomes ferocious.
Maria’s tears are one side of the coin; her rage is the other. The cowardly West had best keep that in mind when Russian men fully realize what’s up as they are now doing by putting their lives on the line. It may take them awhile since their brains are more unipolar than women’s natural multipolar ones. But when men do wake up to the facts of patriarchy, watch out because it won’t be quiet on the Patrix Western Front.
I was impressed with the presentation, and in particular with a point made at the outset of the interview, that took me back to GWBush’s first declaration of the ‘doctrine of pre-emptive strike’ which made a huge impression on me at the time of his announcing it. It was after that issue was raised as government policy that Al Gore made several important speeches in San Francisco spelling out what a radical departure from standard international law this policy had become. And so it must have seemed at the time to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
It is on this basis that Russia has made all of its policies since then, the standard of international law. And so it was a travesty that upon finally obtaining the White House, the Democratic president did not go right back to Al Gore’s defense of international law, as many of us expected he would do.
Well done, Ms. Zakharova.
Thanks so much for sharing this important perspective.
The Soviet song she so eloquently makes a reference to, is already subbed and I really hope everyone takes the time to listen in.
(Les Russes veulent-ils la guerre ? The Russians want war ? Red army choir (ENG subtitle) )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8AfRpO8GXY
After listening to it, I really get the feeling that it is not Russian burocrats that dont want war, but the mass of the Russians.
What about the continuous bomb threats in malls and stores in Russia, some past weekend and some more this thursday?
“More than 10,000 people evacuated from Moscow stores due to bomb threat”
http://tass.ru/en/politics/857761
Breaking:
Turkey invades Syria.
Dozens of Turkish military vehicles cross Syria border, dig trenches – report
Turkish military vehicles have crossed into a Kurdistani area in Syria, Afrin, just over the border, a Kurdish news agency reported adding that the troops started to dig a trench near Meidan Ekbis, a town in Aleppo province.
Dozens of Turkish military vehicles advanced 200 meters into the Syrian Kurdish region in Aleppo province on Thursday, ANHA news agency reported.
It added that the troops started digging a trench between the towns of Sorka and Meydan Ekbis. According to the agency the construction of a concrete wall on the Syrian border in the area is ongoing as well.
The agency posted photos of ongoing operations on its website.
https://www.rt.com/news/332924-turkish-vehicles-cross-syria/
And now?
Two countries militarily invaded in the space of ten weeks.
Now, YPG will grave the turkish tanks with cement, while SAA uses the excess to round up the remains of Daesh. RAF may or may not volunteer some engineering advice depending on the terrain topography.
A kurdish city? I was of the impression that Afrin was in Syria. Trenches and positions? Where is the photographic evidence or satellite imagery? More obfuscation? Of course.
From A Mercouris FB page
RUSSIAN NUCLEAR WARNING TO ERDOGAN?
This is an astonishing article by Robert Parry.
I would love to know who is the Russian source who told him the Russians have warned Erdogan they would use tactical nuclear weapons to protect their strike force in Syria. Would the Russians really disclose that to a US journalist? I have no doubt the source exists but I wonder whether he is as well connected as Robert Parry supposes?
The rest of the article makes fascinating reading too.
Risking Nuclear War for Al Qaeda?
Exclusive: The risk that the multi-sided Syrian war could spark World War III continues as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and U.S. neocons seek an invasion that could kill Russian troops — and possibly escalate the Syrian crisis into a nuclear showdown, amazingly to protect Al Qaeda terrorists, reports Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
https://consortiumnews.com/2016/02/18/risking-nuclear-war-for-al-qaeda/
There is another possibility worth eliminating and that is that the military convoy bombing was planned by the Sultan himself.
What better false flag way to attack Syria by ‘defending’ against Kurdish militants and simultaneously getting the Turkish military, who generally hate Erdogan, on side?
@25:55 Anissa Naouai : “She (Maria Zakharova) has tears in her eyes, just so that you would know”.
The interview was Superb Honesty; Maria is a First Class Woman.
‘Rabel is a miscreant misogynist trash troll’.
There’s been a few lately of this genre plus some more along the lines of bizarre distraction. I wonder if they really are just random empty insults from naturally boorish individuals/misogynists/ those lashing out from a lack of self-esteem. Might there be more to it? Cause anger and confusion and turn people away? Pixel persona software at work?
It would be interesting to know the quantity, slant and quality of what the moderators delete.
As with discerning truth from shaped propaganda, it may be difficult, at least initially, to divine where the truth starts with any individual news article but it is very easy to see an uptick in the quantity and trend of smear over a larger number of articles.
We try to filter out ‘comments’ that obviously are hostile, boorish, completely off topic, and combative. We strive to have a discussion of ideas and views and to avoid ‘trash talk’ of either the author or another commenter. Its difficult but we send only 1-2% of the comments to Saker for his review, eg ‘not posted’. Sometimes we edit out ‘personal attacks’ in an otherwise fine comment and then approve it. The same with obscenities. Each moderator brings their own views and predjudices as to what is acceptable. This was a very insightful question and its difficult to know what is ‘true’. many shades. … Mod-hs
I was just thinking out loud -and actually hoping that the ‘objectionable’ postings (and I realise that is subjective) were a consequence of ‘institutional’ attention in some way because it would mean that the Saker’s website is considered a danger -as with all truth. Given the tiny readership here compared to the MSM, plus sites like RT, Russia Insider etc.you’d think though that would be an over-reaction and unlikely.
Moderation is a difficult, thankless, under-appreciated task and Vineyard moderators do an amazing job.
My thanks to all of you!
Thank you SanctuaryOne for your comment and appreciation for the work we all do.
To understand Mr. Putin-
We are now coming to a showdown between the trans-Atlantic region and the Russia-China-India leadership of the new economic system of development. The leading aspect of this is Vladimir Putin. His actions backed up by China and India are determining the global process. The consolidation of an integrated military capacity in Syria, which cannot now be dislodged, not by Turkey and/or Saudi Arabia, has tremendously weakened Obama and his use of international terror as the leading aspect of the imperial control over world affairs. What rage must the British and Obama be experiencing now as their supported, and expected, fall of Damascus to the Islamic State in October ended up becoming the opposite with Russia’s intervention? In all of this, Putin is negotiating with everyone for a viable world system of sovereign nations. Putin was even able to force the U.N. Security Council to demand that Turkey stop shelling Northern Syria. Putin and his actions are the leading aspect of what is shaping the possibility of turning the course of history, in a functionally positive way, in finally defeating this Brutish and degenerate anti-human empire.
We have now come to the specter of how we are actually going to deal with the disintegrating financial system. We can no longer be meek about the situation. We must assert what we know; Glass-Steagall, a credit system, and the revival of the space program. A better vision needs to be initiated now with the North American population. The empire is being caught in all its contradictions, lies, and lack of ability to know what Putin is going to do next. It is also caught in the throes of the its systemic financial crisis. There is a way out for the people, but not for the empire.
Good interview. Thanks for posting.
Unfortunately, the video is almost unwatchable due to it the incessant stopping and starting as it loads small sements at intervals. Had to watch it on RT.
“In Latvia a kidney is worth 6,000 euros”:
http://www.publico.es/internacional/letonia-rinon-vale-000-euros.html
The effects of the economic crisis in the Baltic country were much more dramatic than in southern Europe. After ransom 7,500 million and join the Eurozone, the internal devaluation triggered the sale of organs of young people
ANGEL FERRERO
MOSCOW. Two reasons make Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania again in the news: first, the presence of NATO troops in the Baltic against an alleged threat of destabilization or even military invasion from Russia; the second, his refusal, along with that of the Visegrad Group (composed by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), to accept the European Union plan for resettlement of refugees. In short, from the three Baltic republics, whose independence from the Soviet Union will celebrate soon the 25th anniversary, we only know for its instrumental role in issues affecting the large states of the European Union.
“20 years, healthy, athlete, I do not drink alcohol. I sell my kidney”. This is the text of one of the online ads viewed by journalists from the Latvian daily Diena to a report published on 17 February. It is not the only of its kind. The ads are accompanied by an e-mail address or phone number. Diena journalists decided to answer some of these ads posing as a potential buyer, a 25 year-old named Sarah, whose mother hospitalized urgently needed a kidney transplant.
According to the newspaper account in less than a day they received the first answer: an adolescent of 19 years willing to donate her organ in exchange for a sum of between 15,000 and 20,000 euros. Journalists, posing as Sarah, replied that, after working several years in Norway, she had the amount available and was willing to pay. In the exchange of email the young offers more on her private life: she is married and lives in the outskirts of Riga, is concerned about the procedure and whether the operation will be carried out in Latvia. Journalists, posing as Sarah, reassuring her: the transplant was performed by medical professionals in the Pauls Stradiņš (PSCUH) University Hospital. She is committed to a personal meeting to go together to analyzes previous to the operation.
“20 years, healthy, athlete, do not drink. I sell my kidney. ”
Another potential seller, a 20 year old who also lives on the outskirts of the capital, is the following answer. After a quick exchange of emails, he accepts the same price and send his phone number to make an appointment. The third answer is an adult who currently lives abroad and is satisfied with a lower amount of money: 6,000 euros.(….)
Internal devaluation in Latvia, an example?
The report of Diena presents a portrait far less bright in this Baltic republic of those who can usually read in the Western media. Latvia was one of the first European countries being swept away by the financial crisis in 2008. The neoliberal government policy caused the housing bubble reached more than other countries size and burst was therefore even more damaging to the economy: the government had to nationalize the country’s second largest bank, Parex, Latvia’s GDP contracted by 10.5% in 2008 and just in one year -from December 2008 to December 2009, unemployment rose from 7% to 22.5%. The executive, which lacked sufficient reserves to rescue Parex and kept the change of the lat, the national currency, fixed to the euro with a view to joining the eurozone, requested assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union, which approved an emergency rescue of 7,500 million euros conditioned on the implementation of a structural adjustment program.
In 2011, Latvia again recorded growth, up 5.4%. The following year also, though less: 4.4%. Unemployment fell. Economic journalists lauded the the Latvian Lutheran moral when to buckle against the reluctance of the Mediterranean to accept austerity measures. The country, they said, finally out of the doldrums thanks to the efforts of the population. “As a result of hard work, Latvia has put its budget deficit under control and the economy has returned to the path of growth, which has been rewarded with his return successfully to the financial markets. further reforms to ensure progress and deal with the challenges that remain are needed, but what we have seen to date is certainly a very good start, “stated the CEO of Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission, Marco Buti, the March 1, 2012. in June of that same year, Christine Lagarde was pleased at the results achieved in Riga. Latvia, according to the managing director of the IMF, had shown strength and discipline, and she was personally proud that the IMF was part of that success story.
But this success story casts a long shadow. American economists Michael Hudson and Jeffrey Sommers collected in an article significantly entitled “The economic disaster of Latvia neoliberal success story” everything that was lost between the lines of speeches from the European Commission and the IMF. Latvia, wrote, “is presented as the country where the labor movement did not fight, but simply emigrated, quietly and politely.” “The Latvian -continuaban- left the protest and began to vote with their feet, migrating, when the economy shrank, wages fell and the tax burden remained on the backs of workers (…) while capital gains are barely taxed,
turning the country into a destination for capital and tax flight for kleptocrats from Russia and other post-Soviet states. ”
Behind the facade of this “Potemkin village” of supporters of austerity, as defined by Sommers and Hudson, therefore is hided a harsh reality. In an essay for the magazine Forbes, analyst Mark Adomanis recalled a few months ago that the Baltic republics have lost together 22% of its population since 1990. In the case of Latvia, the figure rises to 25.5%, mainly due to emigration and low birth rates, which in the future could shake up its pension system. The country’s entry into the European Union did not stop this demographic hemorrhage, of which there are roughly equivalent in the world: in 2013 up to 10% of the population had left the country since 2004, the year when Latvia joined the EU.
Hudson and Sommers graphically described this process as “euthanasia” and conclude that the Latvian model can only “work” if applicable “to a small country willing to carry it out and capable of allowing emigre at least 10% of its population starting with the graduates, the fittest and those with greater knowledge of languages.” The remaining three conditions are “safe demographics for the collapse of household formation rates, marriages and births,” “ethnically divided population that allows politicians to play the ethnic card to distract the population from economic problems” and “depoliticized population willing to give up the protest after a short period of time.”
In his speech in 2012, Lagarde said that growth recovered, the country should prepare for the next step: join the eurozone. One possibility that many Latvians fear rather seen as a new crisis would leave the country without its own currency to devalue and “internal devaluation” again as the only solution. Some members of the Saeima, the Latvian parliament, called for a referendum, but the Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis refused to summon him, saying the country had voted in favor of accession to the European Union in 2003 and signed the treaty which forces to adopt the euro as soon as the country fulfilled the convergence criteria. Opposition attempts to achieve the call for a consultation do not paid off and Latvia adopted the euro on 1 January 2014. Since then there not seem that for Latvia have fared much better things, but the kidneys already can be bought and sold in euros.”
“Most Russians Would Return to the Soviet Economic System – Poll”
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/most-russians-would-return-soviet-economic-system-poll/ri12952
From the comment section of this article, a comment worth read it:
IllyaK • 2 days ago
Soviet Union was the first – and in many cases ONLY – nation to:
free education right through post-grad
free pre-school
guaranteed work in the field of your studies
free apartment and land to build your dacha
free medical, dental, drugs, etc
one year paid maternity – three years unpaid and your job and seniority assured
one month paid vacation – at least
free transportation to and from work
invented the 8 hour work day
and
much else besides – and this was BEFORE WWII when westerners were had
ZERO rights and ZERO benefits and toiled 14 hours a day just to have
enough time to dig for bugs and cathcch rats for dinner before getting 4
hours sleep to start it all over again.